Mr. Bisbee

By Mia Hansen, grade 11

I hated science my freshman year. Walking into a science room with the black topped tables and plastic chairs made me miserable. I struggled with mental health and ended up in a hospital halfway through freshman year. On top of that, science was first thing in the morning. 

I would avoid looking at my science grade because I simply didn't care. I wouldn't do the work, I would rush through things, make up answers, copy other people, you name it. My teachers made it hard for me to love science.

I also had a fear of snakes. Mr. Bisbee, the Arrowhead biology teacher, would hold his snake, Mr. Slithers, out in the hallways. I had a fear that the snake would jump out of his arms and attack me if I looked at it. After a while, I changed my route just to avoid seeing it.

My sophomore year of high school, I had Mr. Bisbee for Biology. I was hesitant at first because there were snakes in his room and I also had an existing hatred for science. As time went on, I realized his teaching style was different. His classroom was a quiet environment but every now and then we would get up, act through scripts and square dance to songs about cells. He even brought his chickens in to dance with us. When we did labs, I understood what I was doing. I felt smart in his class which was very new to me. I learned that I was a smart person, I just needed to find the right teacher to teach me.

My fear of snakes was still a factor though. He would greet students who came through the door with Mr. Slithers wrapped around his arms. He made sure we were comfortable with snakes before offering to let kids hold him. One day, I was offered a chance to hold the snake, so I did. He made sure I knew how to hold him and it made me feel safe knowing how easy snakes were. And soon after, I would hold the snake during class as much as I could. We found out that I scored higher on tests holding a snake than I did without. 

By the end of the year, the only thing I would think about is how biology was ending and that I would never see Mr. Bisbee or Mr. Slithers again. Mr. Bisbee introduced me to the other side of science and I am very grateful for that.

Now, I have my own pet snake at the foot of my bed that I interact with almost every day. My main goal in life is to major in biology in college. My dream job is to be a microbiologist in a forensic field. My love for biology dug a whole path for my life, but I couldn't have done it without Mr. Bisbee.

Thank you Mr. Bisbee.